Eye Pressure (IOP) and natural remedies

[Just concerned]

I would like to know if anyone has found any alternative ways to help lower eye pressure (IOP). I have glaucoma and am on two different drops.  My pressures are 20 in both eyes even with drops.  I would like to try something else before I resort to surgery and it's side effects.  I need help with this as soon as possible as I am losing sight.  Thank you.

[Forum-OD-MP]

not really.  excercise does lower pressure but MOST herbal remedies actually RAISE iop.  ginko biloba has been shown to possibly slow *vision loss* from high pressure, but GB does not LOWER the pressure.

[Just concerned]

When you mention that herbal remedies actually increase IOP, i was wondering what herbal remedies you would be talking about.  I take vitamins and herbal products so am now concerned that I may be contributing to my problem.  Are there certain ones in particular that are worse than others?  I do also take gingko but haven't been taking it regularly so guess that I shold maybe do that.  Also, I use an eye factor formula that contains lutien, bilberry, etc.  Would those not be helpful?  I also have low blood pressure, especially at night (89/55) and migraines.  I know that those are not helping my siutation any.  I have NTG so need to know if there is something I could perhaps do to help increase the blood pressure at night and therefore keep eye pressure down.  Thanks very much!

[Ag-i-doc]

the low blood pressure at night is likely your main problem.  studies show that is a HUGE factor in glaucoma progression.  i have no ideas on how to keep your blood pressure up at night.

st john's wort is the biggest one i can think of off the top of my head that increases iop.

lutien & bilberry are fine.  almost every "eye factor" type over-the-counter supplement is fine.  but those are targeted toward fighting off macular degeneration...not glaucoma.  no over-the-counter pill is going to help you with glaucoma.

[Just concerned]

Would gingko biloba or aspirin be of a benefit with ocular blood flow.  If the low blood pressure is my biggest factor, which I am told it is, would surgery to lower the pressures not be successful if the low blood pressure is still in play?  Thanks.

[Ag-i-doc]

surgery to lower the eye pressure would definitely still be in play.  the current thinking is that all glaucomatous patients need the lowest possible pressure, no matter what other influences (like low nocturnal blood pressure) are present.

as for whether ginko &/or aspirin will help your blood flow, thats a metter of opinion.  depends on who you ask.  you'll get answers both ways.

[Just concerned]

Waht are the success rates with trabeculectomies?  Does it make a difference as to which area of the eye has the damage as to whether or not the surgery willb e a success?

[Ag-i-doc]

which area of the eye has damage?  um, no...most trabs are the same.

[Just concerned]

My eye has severe damage jsut above my central vision.  I was told it was splitting fixation??  I am concerned that a trabeculectomy will take away my central vision since the loss is so close.  Does it increase the odds when it is that close?Thank you.

[jv63]

Not that is should replace medical attention, especially when it comes to glaucoma, but look up ALA (Alpha Lipoic Acid) as I've read good things about it lowering IOP. I have very high pressure in my right eye and although surgery may be in my future, I'm trying other "natural" remedies as well. I've also noticed cardiovascular exercise does help. Just 20 minutes about 4 times a day makes a difference.

Good luck to you. I can relate to how you're feeling.

[Just concerned]

Thanks for your comment.  Nice to talk to someone who understands what this is like.  I have tied the ALA and try and do exercise.  I also read that Vit. C helps to lower the pressures.  A person would have to take a large amount though so don't really know how much good it will do.  Do you have NTG or POAG?  I am hoping to change eye meds as I think they lose their effect over time.  Have you tried Cosopt and if so, how did it work for you? Thanks.

[jv63]

I have open angle. It's just my right eye. Long story but I had a vein occlusion in that eye months ago and was given a steroid shot which had an adverse affect on me and made the pressure continue to rise. One of those fluky things where I just woke up with blurry vision one day and I shouldn't even have this based on my age, the shape I'm in and all the blood work I had done. But I can't change what's happened so here we are.

My docs are trying to avoid surgery so they have me on, are you ready, all of these:

- Cosopt
- Alphagan
- Xalatan
- Pilocarpine 2%
- Diamox

For a guy who's always done things the "natural" way this is a lot for me to take. It's taking its toll on my body. I've had shortness of breath which I think is from the cosopt. No appetite which is from the diamox and lately kidney pain (i.e. stones) from the pilocarpine.

I don't want to be on this stuff much longer but I would also like to avoid surgery. The docs are just trying to buy me time to see if the effects of the steroid shot wear off and the plumbing in my eye starts working again.

I'm also taking ALA, vitamin C, fish oil and doing some cardio whenever I can. I go back on Monday to see if the pressure has come down any. Doc won't wait too much longer if hasn't come down and then it's the knife for me.

[Just concerned]

Wow - you are on a lot of medication.  I sure hope you will have a good results and won't have to have the surgery.  What are your pressures in that eye?  Hopefully it will come back down for you.  I have always been told if I put the drops in the right way and hold the tear ducts closed for 2-3 minutes, I will avoid must of the systemic effects.  I haven't had too many but am not on near as much as you are.  I know they put you on all these for a reason but from my experience in all of this (my father had been diagnosed about 40 years ago with this) and had been on Diamox.  He was one of the ones that had the rare side effect of the aplastic anemia.  I would say that would be one of the scariest ones for side effects as it is taken systemically.  Not meaning to scare you but jsut to let you know to be aware of that.  Please let me know how your results turn out.  Are they delaying the surgery due to risk factors of the surgery?  have you already lost some vision?  Good luck with everything!

[Ag-i-doc]

JC:

a trab surgery loswers pressure.  it makes no difference "where" in your eye the damage is or vision loss is.  it doesnt matter how "close" the the center it is.  the trab surgery is performed way away from the retina.

[Just concerned]

Thank you - that is good to know.  I was sure I had read that the more damage your eye has and the closer to the central vision that the damage is, the great likelihood that I could lose mroe vision during a trab.  There is a lot of mixed information out there so hard to sort it all out.  I was sure that at one point my dr. had also mentioned therre was a greater risk due to where the damage is.  Can you tell me what the percentage of risk is and if it's greater in a younger person?  Thanks.

[jv63]

My pressure in that eye has been up to 40. That's when they start me on the pilocarpine and it came down to 31. 2 weeks ago it was at 25 and I go today (Monday) to see if it's come down any more.

I've read about that holding the tear duct. I'll have to try that as I'm feeling some of the effects of all these drops.

They are just holding off on surgery in the hopes it's not needed in my case. Glaucoma doesn't run in my family and the glaucoma surgeon feels my situation is due to the adverse effect of the steroid shot for my vein occlusion. He hopes that it can wear off and things start working normally again to avoid surgery and then keep things under control with just a drop or 2.

[Just concerned]

Good luck with everything today.  Hope the pressures have come down for you.

[Just concerned]

I have been told I have a disc hemorrhage and would like to know if that always causes more vision loss or is there a chance it will go away and leave no ill effects.  Are there other things besides pressures that can cause this bleeding?  If so, by taking away the problem, can things return to normal?
Thanks.

[Just concerned]

I would like to know if I have bleeding at the back of the eye, if that means there will be sudden vision loss from that?

[CMA]

Does this make sense to anyone my daughter was born with newborn glaucoma.  She has had 2 surgeries and 8 procedures.  She is 2 now her pressures read 23 in her left eye and 35 in the right eye. The doctor doesn't want to perform surgery just yet because even though her pressures are high he says the back of her eye looks really good and her disc looks good and also her corneas are a little bit thick but not extremely thick.  How can everything within her eye look so good but yet her pressure readings are so high?  She is on 2 eye drops Cosopt and Xhalatan and it doesn't seem to work, she's been on other drops too but that failed.  I've been giving her billberry and cod liver oil and childrens vitamins I read alot of vitamin D & C and omega fatty acids help with lowering pressure in the eye, chromium too but stay away from vanadiums which take away the effect of the vitamins.  I'm trying everything I can for my daughter so she can see, I just wish there was a cure for this disease that she was born with.

[Just concerned]

I would like to know of anyone who has tried Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) for the treatment of glaucoma.  I have heard that it can improve the visual fields.  I wondered if anyone has had any success with this.

[jmch]

A related discussion, keeping eye pressure low was started.